Is every Digital Camera RAW Compatibility Update necessary?

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Level 2

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Is every Digital Camera RAW Compatibility Update necessary?

Knowledge base doc (http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3825) says “Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard provides system-level support for digital camera RAW formats.” so I assume a system update includes Digital Camera RAW Combatibility updates.

Before I updated from 10.6.6 to 10.6.8, SU showed I needed Dig Cam RAW Com update 3.7 which I didn’t do. After the update to 10.6.8, I needed 3.12 so v3.7 through 3.11 must have been included in the OS X update. Before I got around to doing 3.12, I found SU showed 3.13; I assume each update includes the past ones as well.

My cameras, Samsung Pro 815s, predate the updates.

I continue to do the updates thnking there might be some unmentioned secuirity issues included in the update that are not mentioned, but -- really -- is it necessary to keep doing these particular updates?

Do folks continue to do these ad infinitum as new cameras are added?

Should I eventually purchase different cameras, could I then find the relevant update and just install it?

iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on May 30, 2012 7:12 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

LarryHN

Level 10

106,110 points

May 30, 2012 7:15 PM in response to Mrs H

Your choice. I do all updates.

LN

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Answer 2

Mrs H Author

Level 2

231 points

May 30, 2012 7:20 PM in response to LarryHN

LarryHN,

Thanks for your super speedy reply.

Do you happen to know if these updates include any other bits of stuff besides the RAW compatibility for specific cameras?

I know the updates are relatively small so it's not a big deal. I just envision them coming fast and furious as more cameras are added and am wondering what others do about keeping up.

Thanks again,

Mrs H

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Answer 3

May 30, 2012 7:24 PM in response to Mrs H

I concur with LarryHN. I do them all.

Allan

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Answer 4

LarryHN

Level 10

106,110 points

May 30, 2012 7:30 PM in response to Mrs H

I only know what I read in the release notes

LN

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Answer 5

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,308 points

May 30, 2012 10:53 PM in response to Mrs H

No you don't have to do all the Camera Raw updates - or even any of them.

The updates add Raw support for particular (named) Camera models. If you don't have one of those cameras then there is little point in the update for you.

Further, Camera Raw updates get rolled into the next OS update anyway, so the next time you update your OS you catch up anyway.

No, Camera Raw updates are just that. If there are also other things updated it will be in the Release notes.

Regards

TD

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Answer 6

Mrs H Author

Level 2

231 points

May 31, 2012 8:52 AM in response to Yer_Man

In my first post I mentioned:

Before I got around to doing 3.12, I found SU showed 3.13; I assume each update includes the past ones as well.

You, TD, kindly added this information - thank you:

Further, Camera Raw updates get rolled into the next OS update anyway, so the next time you update your OS you catch up anyway.

However, I’m running 10.6.8 and probably staying there - so no more OS updates for me.

I do updates manually checking SU first.

As I said above, when I didn’t do 3.12 update (but I did download the installer), it was later replaced in SU by 3.13.

It really is not a big deal, but just a matter of curiosity - do you know if the update for 3.12 was included in 3.13? (The list of supported cameras for 3.13 does not include the one for 3.12.)

As I said, it matters not, just curious how smart SU really is (because I have another really big issue with SU and am just waiting to ask that question later...)

Thanks again,

Mrs H

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Answer 7

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,308 points

May 31, 2012 9:03 AM in response to Mrs H

No, each update is discreet. If your camera is included in 3.13 then use that updater. No need for 3.12

Regards

TD

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Answer 8

Mrs H Author

Level 2

231 points

Jun 1, 2012 8:03 PM in response to Yer_Man

Terence Devlin wrote:

No, each update is discreet...

TD

Thank you for your help and information.

It answers more questions than you can imagine.

If every update is discreet, then SU should not have bypassed 3.12 when it said I needed 3.13 - it should have said I needed both. (In fact, I think I need neither, but that's neither here nor there)

Thanks again,

Mrs H

PS The reason this is such important information for me is because it proves to me that SU is not infallible.

It has been telling me I need iMac EFI Firmware Update v1.9, yet when I go to download that update manually it shows System Requirement 10.7.3 Lion iMac (and I am running 10.6.8 on the designated iMac). I am glad I checked the download page (as I always do) and didn't just trust SU. From reading here and elsewhere, I know that Firmware updates can be tricky and really screw things up...

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